Bullet's voice was still as rough as ever, but there was a rare sincerity and certainty behind it that made his words unexpectedly reassuring.
"Quit worrying so damn much," he said firmly. "Ron's a hard man to read. Half the time, I don't know what the hell he's planning either, because his ideas always come out of nowhere. But I do know what kind of man he is."
Bullet folded his arms.
"He's not the kind of coward who makes promises he has no intention of keeping. He accepted your Revolutionary Army into the Divine Kingdom and agreed to help you. Once Ron gives his word, he sees things through to the end. I'd stake my reputation on that."
The conviction in Bullet's voice eased some of the weight pressing on Dragon's chest.
Bullet stepped closer and continued with the blunt battlefield logic that came naturally to him.
"Think about it. Those God's Knights announced that Sabo and the others will be publicly executed at Marineford in a month. That means they're probably being held somewhere relatively close to Headquarters."
He scratched at his stiff red hair.
"They're not going to wait until execution day and haul important prisoners halfway across the damn world. That'd just be asking for trouble."
Bullet frowned thoughtfully.
"And Impel Down? Kaido and I already caused enough trouble there before that I doubt they'd stick prisoners this important back in that place."
He paused.
"Then again, who knows? Those bastards could have some secret facility we've never heard about."
Dragon fell into thought.
That possibility could not be dismissed.
The coming public execution was more than a threat against Sabo and the captured commanders. It was a challenge aimed at the remnants of the Revolutionary Army and every force connected to them. If they could determine where the prisoners were being held before execution day, they might gain an opportunity to act before the trap fully closed.
"Your reasoning makes sense," Dragon said at last. "We need to prepare in advance and identify their holding location."
His gaze sharpened.
"If Marineford and Impel Down aren't being used, then there must be another site. Sabaody is one possibility, but we'll need more intelligence before drawing any conclusions."
Bullet nodded.
Searching was not his preferred kind of work, but even he understood that blindly charging into the wrong place would accomplish nothing.
The Revolutionary Army's remaining intelligence channels would need to be activated. Contacts around Sabaody and nearby Marine-controlled waters could be questioned, shipping movements tracked, and unusual World Government activity investigated.
There was no guarantee any single clue would lead them to Sabo.
But with only a month remaining, every lead mattered.
Bullet suddenly slapped his chest.
THUMP! THUMP!
The heavy impacts echoed through the corridor.
"But there's one thing you really don't need to worry about!"
Dragon looked back at him.
Bullet's eyes burned with almost unquestioning confidence.
"No matter how well those bastards hide Sabo, Ron has his own way of doing things."
He grinned.
"And I respect the hell out of him for it."
"If he says he can get Sabo out, then I believe he already has a way to do it."
Bullet jabbed a thumb toward himself.
"So stop driving yourself crazy thinking the worst. Keep looking, sure. Gather whatever information you can."
"But when it comes down to the real rescue…"
His grin widened.
"Trust Ron."
The argument was hardly sophisticated.
Bullet had no elaborate intelligence analysis or carefully constructed strategy to offer.
What he had was absolute confidence.
And somehow, that certainty landed like an anchor in Dragon's troubled mind.
Dragon studied the battle-crazed man before him for several seconds.
Beneath Bullet's crude manner and obsession with strength, there was no hesitation whatsoever when he spoke about Ron.
Dragon's expression slowly softened.
Perhaps that confidence was worth listening to.
After all, Dragon himself had already made the greatest gamble of his life when he entrusted the future of the Revolutionary Army—and the lives of countless comrades—to Ron and the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
Second-guessing that decision now would not bring Sabo back any faster.
Nor would endless anxiety reveal where the prisoners were being held.
Dragon slowly exhaled, releasing some of the tension that had remained in his chest.
His brow finally eased.
Then he gave Bullet a solemn nod.
"I understand."
There was genuine gratitude in his voice.
"Thanks for the reminder and guidance."
This time, when Dragon turned and continued down the corridor, his steps were steadier than before.
The worry had not disappeared.
Neither had the danger.
But he had chosen to place his faith in the decision he had already made.
He would continue searching for Sabo and the others with everything the Revolutionary Army still possessed.
And at the same time—
he would trust Ron to keep his promise.
For now, the hope of rescuing Sabo and the captured commanders might ultimately rest with the Divine Sovereign.
...
Dragon gave a slow nod, clearly accepting Bullet's words, but the heaviness between his brows had not completely disappeared.
Bullet finally noticed.
Comforting people had never been his specialty. He was much better at solving problems with his fists than trying to untangle someone else's worries, and watching Dragon brood over the situation was starting to irritate him.
"Tch!"
Bullet clicked his tongue.
"Look at you. You'd think we'd already lost the damn war."
Before Dragon could respond, Bullet threw one enormous arm around his shoulders and hauled him closer with enough force to make him stumble half a step.
"Come on! Quit standing around thinking yourself into a hole. The more you brood over it, the worse it gets."
With that, Bullet practically dragged Dragon down the corridor toward a well-known tavern inside the Divine Kingdom called the Warrior's Rest.
"Drinks are on me!" Bullet declared. "The strongest stuff they've got!"
His mood had already brightened considerably.
"And while we're at it, I'll tell you how we tore Marine Headquarters apart. You should've seen the looks on those bastards' faces!"
He gave Dragon another enthusiastic slap on the shoulder.
"Trust me, once you hear the whole story, you'll forget half the crap you've been worrying about. What problem can't be improved by strong liquor and a good fight story?"
Dragon stiffened slightly beneath Bullet's crushing arm and instinctively considered pulling himself free, but the gesture was so straightforwardly sincere that he eventually gave up.
He glanced sideways at Bullet's animated expression, and despite himself, the corner of his mouth finally lifted into a faint smile.
Several people passing through the corridor noticed the sight and smiled as well.
Bullet's idea of showing concern had never been particularly subtle.
Still keeping Dragon trapped under one arm, he marched toward the tavern while immediately launching into his retelling of the Marineford raid. His free hand swept through the air as he reenacted punches, explosions, and shattered defenses with increasing enthusiasm.
"You really should've been there!"
Bullet laughed.
"At first, those Marines were standing around like they had everything under control. Whole formations lined up, officers barking orders, everyone putting on this serious damn face."
His grin widened.
"Then Kaido and I started beating the hell out of them."
He punched one fist into his palm.
"After that? Their whole precious Headquarters turned into chaos!"
Bullet was obviously embellishing his own dominance, but Dragon made no effort to interrupt.
"They were running everywhere, defenses collapsing, buildings getting smashed apart. Damn, that was satisfying!"
He swung his fist through the air hard enough to produce a sharp gust.
"Magellan was a little troublesome, I'll give him that. Bastard kept hiding behind all that poison, and the stuff started sizzling the second it touched anything."
Bullet wrinkled his nose as though he could still smell the corrosive fumes.
"But so what?"
A savage smile crossed his face.
"Tricks like that only matter until someone hits hard enough."
He abruptly demonstrated a brutal hook.
"I found my opening and—BAM!—sent him and all that poison straight into the wall!"
Bullet laughed loudly.
"That taught him!"
The farther they walked, the more animated he became.
"And then there were those Vice Admirals who'd taken that weird serum. Muscles bulging everywhere, eyes bloodshot, acting like they'd suddenly become monsters."
He waved one hand dismissively.
"They looked impressive."
"That was about it."
"Once I hit them, they folded just like everyone else. Couldn't take a damn punch!"
His booming laughter filled the corridor.
Then Bullet's tone changed.
Not with fear, but with the unmistakable excitement of a battle addict remembering a genuinely dangerous opponent.
"But the best part came right at the end."
He slowed slightly.
"Just when Kaido and I were about to leave, guess who suddenly showed up?"
Bullet's grin became almost feral.
"Garp."
He slapped his chest hard enough to produce a dull THUMP.
"That old bastard had been hiding somewhere the whole damn time, and then he came flying out of nowhere!"
Bullet rubbed the spot on his chest where Garp's fist had landed.
"I'll give him this—his fists are ridiculously hard."
His face twisted as he remembered the impact.
"Getting hit by that thing felt like having a mountain launched straight into me."
He leaned backward dramatically, reenacting the blow.
"BAM! Right here!"
Bullet thumped his chest again and laughed through the lingering soreness.
"Damn near knocked yesterday's dinner back out of me."
His grin widened.
"Now that was a punch!"
Any hint of discomfort immediately disappeared beneath sheer exhilaration.
"But I didn't let the old bastard have all the fun."
Bullet clenched his fist.
"I took his punch and hammered him right back."
His eyes burned with battle lust.
"Every hit had everything I could put behind it."
He laughed again, clearly savoring the memory.
"Now that was a fight worth having!"